. Bees and how to keep Bees. The colony or swarm should be fairly strong and headed with a young fertile queen. The apiary from which it comes should be free from disease. It is best, if possible, to purchase the bees in your own vicinity, one reason being that bees sent long distances may die in large numbers during transportation unless packed skilfully; another reason is that the risk of introducing disease into the district is avoided. If the colony is procured in April or May the bees will travel with less risk than in the height of summer, because there will be fewer bees and less
. Bees and how to keep Bees. The colony or swarm should be fairly strong and headed with a young fertile queen. The apiary from which it comes should be free from disease. It is best, if possible, to purchase the bees in your own vicinity, one reason being that bees sent long distances may die in large numbers during transportation unless packed skilfully; another reason is that the risk of introducing disease into the district is avoided. If the colony is procured in April or May the bees will travel with less risk than in the height of summer, because there will be fewer bees and less honey in the hive and the weather will probably be cooler. Colonies should be moved during the autumn or early spring if the distance is less than two miles in order to avoid the return of many of the bees to the old location. If colonies are purchased it is very desirable that they should be in modern hives. Sometimes bees can be bought very cheaply in box hives, or a colony may be found in a hollow tree. Such colonies will have to be transferred to modern hives. (See Transferring.). Fig. 2.—Hives—(Left) Jumbo, (Centre) 10-frame Langstroth, (Right) 8-frame Langstroth. Another method of buying bees that has proved satisfactory is by weight, without combs, in boxes specially constructed for the purpose. Packed with care the bees will survive a journey lasting several days and will not be likely to carry brood diseases. Packages containing two or three pounds of bees including a queen are the most satisfactory. Before purchasing bees by the package, how- ever, one should have on hand the necessary hives and other accessories for hiving them. Before deciding to obtain bees from places outside the province one should communicate with the Provincial Apiarist or local bee inspector, as all the provinces have regulations regarding the movement of bees into the province. Those who desire advice as to where bees may be procured should com- municate with the secretary of the provinc
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookpublisherottawadepartmento, booksubjectbees
